Original subtitles

♪ [ trumpet ]

In 1849, rugged and adventurous men

came to California.

They came from all walks of life and from all countries,

all in search of the same thing.

Gold.

Shortly after that, came the drifters and grifters

the conmen,

and those who would find a gold mine

in the miners themselves,

even if they had to do it honestly.

One of these men was Bertrand,

a photographer.

Bertrand knows that a picture says more than a thousand words,

and that the picture he is about to take,

may get someone killed.

If Bertrand knew this, he might say...

MAN: 498...

499...

500.

You can move now, Count. I've captured you.

MAN: No, don't move.

I've captured you.

Put the gun away, Mr. Linn.

I don't even carry a quill knife.

No tricks, Pete. You're coming with me.

Come on. We've got a long trip.

Bertrand, my friend is making a joke.

Now, listen, finish the picture

and take it to Señorita Conchita Vascuela Ibanaz.

You know where the ranchois?

Yes, yes, yes.

She's going to be my wife,

you understand?

My wife.

Tell Conchita I have to go...

on a business trip.

Finish the picture quickly while I talk to my friend.

[ mutters ] Oh, dear. Yes, sir.

I'll take that.

And the other one.

In that pouch is more than is coming to you.

I sent you to sell two wagonloads of potatoes.

Now, you sold the potatoes,

then you sold the wagons, then you sold the oxen!

Well, they offered so much for the wagons and the teams,

I couldn't resist.

I've been chasing you for three weeks.

Well, I only used your gold as a stake.

I bet on good horses,

I turned up the right cards,

but this gold is mine.

It's my profit!

And my time is worth something, too.

And I calculate just about that much.

Let's go, Pete.

Mr. Linn, you have a handsome profit

on your possessions and on your time.

Take it and let me go back to Sacramento.

You're going to jail, Pete.

If Conchita's father hears about the business,

he's going to kill you for taking me away from Conchita.

And just who is Conchita?

I am Conchita Vascuela Ibanaz.

Uh, I'm the photographer.

Sí.

Daguerreotype, actually.

Oh.

Oh! Oh, está bueno!

MAN: ¿Quién está, Conchita?

¿Quién está?

He's a photographer, papa,

with a picture of Peter.

[ gushes ] Oh, is he not beautiful?

He is not beautiful.

Not him, papa.

Peter, the Count.

Yes, my little vision. He is very handsome.

Mucho hombre,your Count.

Count-- The Count--

Uh, Count Von Lo--

Van Lornthing.

Van Lornthing.

C-Count Von...

The one you said, sir--

He told me to tell you something about a marriage...

A trip. He-he-- He's going to take a trip.

Trip?

He said nothing about a trip.

Yes, he's going to take a trip to visit his-his wife.

He's married, and he's going to visit his wife.

Oh, no!Married?

My Count, he's not married!

Yes, he's-he's--

He's got to be married in order for him

to visit his wife, who he's married to.

Conchita is a daughter of Don Vascuela Ibanaz.

He comes from a long line of wealthy and noble Spaniards

with many cattle and much land.

And what is she to you?

We are going to be married.

Married?

[ crying ] Married?

[ meekly ] Married.

Married?!

Roberto! Manuel!

Venga pronto!

Estúpido.

Turn out the vaqueros.

Fast horses, quick guns, find Count Von Lornthing,

kill him!

Cut off his head. Bring me his lying tongue.

You don't like him no more?

I hate him! I want his blood!

Vámonos!

The Don loves me.

I bring new blood to his family,

noble blood, for strong and beautiful grandsons.

I'm afraid that'll have to wait, Pete.

You're going to jail.

I'm authorized to return you

to Tulare County.

This is Sacramento. You have no authority here.

Authority enough.

Mr. Linn, you don't understand.

Don Ibanaz has many vaqueros

who are in love with a gun and a knife.

If the photographer tells him how you took me,

they will come for you.

You're going to stand trial, Pete. Come on.

[ clicks tongue ] Let's go.

Pete, why'd you do it?

You're the best foreman I ever had.

You speak a couple of languages.

Five. Yeah.

And you're a wiz at figures and cattle and farming.

Architecture and wine-making--

All right! Why'd you do it then?

It's my Conchita.

I needed the money to marry her.

You needed the money to marry Conchita?

A Count Von Lornthing does not enter a bargain

empty-handed.

Oh, I see.

Without money, you're no bargain.

Oh, no. Conchita loves me,

and I can make her father even more rich.

He'll be able to sit under the grape arbor,

his grandsons on his knees, and grow richer,

but I did not want to come as a beggar.

It was a matter of principle.

You were kind of careless about principle

when it came to my money.

Well, I couldn't wait any longer.

A rose left too long on a bush

will go to seed.

Manuel, busca en El Canón del Muerte

y me voy por acá.

Bueno. Vamos.

You must be very tired. You haven't slept all night.

Yeah, I am,

but I'm going to make up for it

when I get you back to jail.

[ scoffs ] You keep saying that.

There is no jail in Tulare County.

Oh, yes, there is.

Charley Converse just finished building one.

I designed it for him. I drew up the plans.

So Charley told me. Come on. Let's get out of here.

I don't want them vaqueros to catch us on the trail.

Nada.

Nada.

Roberto...

Don Ibanaz, he's going to be very angry, eh?

Sí.

Let us try the other side of the valley.

We must find the Count.

[ both speak Spanish ]

Linn.

Howdy.

Hi, Pete.

Sort of hoping they wouldn't get you.

No offense, Linn.

None taken, Charley,

but right's right, you know.

Can you lock him up in your new jail?

Say, is he your first customer?

Now hold it, Linn. You can't leave Pete here.

This ain't no proper jail yet.

I thought you told me you finished it.

I did, but the border supervisors ain't approved it yet.

They commissioned you to build it,

didn't they, Charley?

It ain't no genuine jail

until they inspect it and approve it.

[ groans ] That's just a formality.

I got to get some sleep.

You take care of him, will ya?

Oh, Pete, I reckon I owe you a little back wages.

I think that horse's saddle ought to make it right.

You can keep that.

Oh, uh...

I'm sure glad I got you here before your pants fell off.

I was afraid you was going to run out of buttons.

Adiós.

Shame on you, Charley.

You didn't build this jail as well as I designed it.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I know, but I...

See, I ain't in no great shakes with my hands.

I don't like the way you're looking at my jail, Pete.

I like it.

I like it very much.

I think you like it too much. Come on!

You get inside.

I don't want to have to shoot you to protect my investment, see?

Go on.

Don't look too strong, huh?

If you hadn't scrimped on mortar,

it might be a little stronger.

You figure you can break out, huh?

Yes, I figure.

Doggone it, Pete. You just can't do it!

I just said I could.

Yeah, but if you do it,

them board of supervisors fellas won't okay it,

then I'm going to be stuck with nothing

but a funny-looking building.

That will be a shame, but--

Please now, Pete.

Look, I'm your friend.

I-I'll do anything.

You should have a more comfortable bed

for your prisoners.

Bed? Yeah.

I got a bed I might let you use.

And if we had a table, we could play cards.

Yeah. Yeah.

Now, look, it's only four days

till the board comes to check on it.

If you could just stay, see, until they look it over,

just four days, mind you, huh?

[ clicks tongue ]

I have a beautiful señorita in Sacramento,

and she's just waiting for me.

I'm going away.

If I cannot marry Peter, I will not marry anyone.

I will become a sister of the church.

Conchita, you can't mean that. Who will get the rancho?

Give it to the vaqueros.

Give it to the cattle for all I care.

But I will not have any grandsons

to bounce upon my knee in the grape arbor.

Well, you can thank your Count Von Lornthing for that.

He was the only one--He was the only one,

I think, that could marry you.

Tontos! Why don't they find him?

Must I go out there and kill him myself?

Hmm?

Please, just don't bust out for four days,

and I'll get you a nice bed, and--

I'm going to get married.

She'll wait! She'll wait!

But I won't.

No, no. Look, Pete, please.

Listen to me.

I'll feed and exercise your horse every day.

I'll bring your meals hot from the hotel,

the best they got,

and all the whiskey you want,

all the cigars you can smoke, books to read--

I'd like to, Charley, because you're my friend,

but...

Now, hold it, Pete.

You know that everyone knows you designed this here jail.

If you was to bust right out, they're going to think

you did a bad job now, ain't they?

[ chuckles ]

Just four days, huh?

Charley, you are a very persuasive man,

however, if I don't get what I want--

Oh, you'll get it. You'll get it.

There's one more thing.

I left a trail for the vaqueros

to follow me and rescue me.

If they get here before the time is up...

Why, I don't think they'd look for you in jail, huh?

Espérate.

Mira,Manuel.

A silver button of the Count.

Es verdad.

The Count did come this way, huh?

Well, Roberto, you're a smart man, huh?

Ah, Manuel, stick with me and you become a fox, too.

[ both laugh ]

You get enough to eat?

Yes.

It was good peasant food.

Peasant? No, no, no. Chicken.

Did you hear from the commissioners?

Yup, right on time.

Day after tomorrow, about noon.

Ain't seen hide nor hair of them vaquerosthough.

Maybe they've given up.

Hey, Roberto, ven aquí.

Otro botón.

It's as if he would like us to track him down, huh?

Could it be he wants to lose his head?

Who knows the mind of a gringo?

Let us save the botones.

Maybe the chaqueta will fit me.

Anyhow, he won't be needing it anymore.

[ both laugh ]

Say, Pete,

uh, that board will be here in a little while.

Uh, could you help me move some of these things out?

I wouldn't want them asking any questions

that I couldn't answer, huh?

[ laughs nervously ]Oh, yes.

They might wonder why I sleep on a feather bed.

Yeah, listen, my wife's been wondering, too.

She been yelling now for four days.

She ain't much for sleeping on that straw mattress, see?

Uno más.

I think we're getting closer.

Let's start by asking people if they know the Count.

Or his wife, eh?

Or his wife.

MAN: Good-bye, Charley.

CHARLEY: Bye, Bill. Bye, Mr. Wilson.

MAN: See ya, Charley. CHARLEY: See ya.

What's a matter?

Didn't they approve of your jail?

Oh, yeah, yeah. They approved of the jail.

Well, what's wrong?

You look like you lost your last friend.

Don't say that.

[ sighs ] I don't know how to tell you this, Pete,

but...it's them vaqueros.

[ chuckles ] What about them?

Well, the Commissioner just talked to them

on the road about an hour ago.

They're likely to be here any minute now, see?

Oh, don't worry, Charley.

They won't do anything to you.

I'll tell them that you're a friend of mine.

No, it ain't me that I'm worried about, Pete.

The Don sent them after you. They're going to kill you.

See, the Commissioner sent them the wrong way

so as I could be ready.

He, uh...

He don't want a murder in a brand new jail.

You understand?

Charley, you're going to have to make a decision.

What do you mean?

Would you prefer people say you're a sloppy builder

or a sloppy jailer?

If I get my druthers, I guess I'd rather be a sloppy jailer.

All right.

Ow!

That bump on your head will make it easier to explain

why I'm gone.

Yeah.

Yeah, thanks, Pete.

Where's my horse?

He's right outside. I knew you'd want him.

I don't know where Roberto and Manuel is.

They have not returned,

and if he does not return with the Count,

I will have to send you.

And if you don't return,

I will go myself to kill him.

Listen, Pete, you got to get a wiggle on.

Them vaqueroswill be here.

Don't worry. My horse is rested and faster.

Where are you going?To Conchita.

What? I thought that's why the Don wants to kill you,

on account of her.

Without her, I don't care.

World full of women, he got to have that one.

Hey, why are you going in my jail?

What are you doing to me-- Put that knife down!

No está aquí.

The Count, amigo.

Where is the Count?

He's gone. Gone. He escaped.

Look, he jumped me, see? Gave me the big knot.

Look, just like a big watermelon there.

Look at that.Where did he go?

How should I know? He didn't leave me a map.

[ laughs nervously ]Which way did the Count go, amigo?

I don't know. I was dizzy.

Amigo,do you like to be killed?

There, north! He went north.

Vámonos.

Lots of luck...

all bad.

Yah!

[ sighs ]

Conchita, my darling.

I am not your darling.

Why does your father's people search for me?

To kill you, to cut out your lying tongue,

and I hope they do!

Shh!

Patrón, no encontramos el Conde,

pero encontramos muchos botones.

¿Botones? Sí, Patrón, míralo, más.

Botones, animales!

Why are you so angry?

Ow!

You-- You husband!

Don't do that again, my little cactus,

or I'll take the sting out of you.

What do you mean "husband"?

We are not married.

No, and we never will be

because you are already married.

What?

I'm not.

You lie. The photographer told us all about you.

You went to see your wife.

Liar!

Papa! Roberto!

Manuel!

The Count!

Kill him! Mátalo!

Mátalo!You-- You beast!

After him! Get the horses!

Don't cry, my dear. We will get him this time.

I will see to it myself.

Oh, Peter...

They're going to kill you!

[ screams ]

Talk!

[ mutters incoherently ]

Go on, tell them!

The Count isn't married.

I-I was wrong.

I remembered what he really said,

later on,

but I was afraid to tell you.

It was your daughter Con-ch-chita...

he was-- said he was going to marry.

The Count lies.I don't think you should.

[ groans ]

[ body falls ]

[ grunts ]

You see why I didn't think you should?

[ groans ]

No, no, no, no, no.No, no!

Come on, come on, my little rabbit.

No, don't worry.

I want you to take a picture of me

and one hombrethat can handle men and women...

even Conchita.

Come on, let's go.

Roberto? ¿Qué?

I don't think I want to be a smart fox.

Historically, there remains some doubt

about the exact quantity,

but it seems a good bet that Don Vascuela Ibanaz had

a satisfactory number of grandsons

to bounce upon his knee under the grape arbor.

Next week, another forgotten true story

from the history of the West.